Mail-bag delivering and receiving apparatus.



1 H. BICKHARD.

MAIL BAG DELIVEBING AND RECEIVING APPARATUS. APPLICATmN FILED Nov. 3, 191s.

11.213,23.. Patented Jan. 30,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

J'H. BICKHARD.

MA|L BAG DELIVERING AND RECEWINGAPPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 3,19l6. l

Patented Jan. 30, 1917.

J H. BICKHARD.

MAIL BAG DELIVEHING AND RECEIVINGAPPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 3. Ism.

Patented Jan. 30, 19W.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVEN'T'R mc mwms PETERS co., Maremma.4 vmsmmnwv` u r.

J HENRY BICKHARD, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

MAIL-BAG DELIVERING AND-RECE1'VING AFPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented @if an. 3d, 191% Application filed November 3, 1916. Serial No. 129,315.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Fe it known that l, J HENRY Broni-msn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Mail-Bag Delivering and Receiving Apparatus; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to mail bag delivering and receiving apparatus.

lt has for its object to provide a means for delivering` a mail bag to a moving train and also a means for receiving a mail bag which is delivered from a moving train, wherein the shock due to the sudden change of motion of the bag will be absorbed in such a way as to prevent any tearing or destruction of the bag.

1t also has for its object to provide a mail bag delivering and receiving apparatus which is located directly above the tracks whereby the interchange of bags is made through the top et the car, thus avoiding the necessity of mail clerks working beside an open door, which is attended with some danger on account of the lurching of the mail car.

The invention may be contained inlmany terms of constructions usable for delivering and receiving mail bags, all of which come within the purview of my claims hereinafter appended. To show the practicability ot my invention l have selected one of such constructions asA an example and shall describe it hereinafter. rlhe construction selected is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 of the drawing is a front view of the apparatus for delivering and receiving the mail bag. Fig. 2 is a front view of a conveyer forthe mail bag for moving it to androm a point above the track. Fig. 3 is a side view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a view of the part of the apparatus which is located within the car. Fig. 5 is a side View of the conveyor which is also illustrated in Fig. 2.

1, Fig. 1, is a base or platform which may be formed of concrete or other material for supporting the part of the apparatus located at the stationwhere mail bags are to be delivered to and received from moving trains. The uprights 2 of the structure may be strengthened by struts 3 and i which may be ot' any form suitable for the purpose. The structure, moreover, may be braced by braces 5 and cross bars G, which interconnect the uprights 2. Brackets 10 are secured to the uprights 2. Two pairs of tracks 11 and 12 are pivoted to the brackets 10. The tracks 11 and 12 are secured in position by means of yokes 13 which are also braced and held in position by the connecting bars 14. The ends of the track structures are secured together and braced by the bar 17.

rlhe tracks are supported in a slightly inclined position when placed in position for operation, which enables the ready return of the bag conveyers 15. which move over the tracks 11 and 12. They are supported in their operative positions by the bars 16, to which the cross bar 17 is connected. One end of each bar 16 may be provided with a plurality oi' holes 20, while the bar 17 is provided with the brackets 18. Fins 19 may be inserted through the holes 20 and thus the inclination of the tracks may be varied. rThe opposite end of each bar is provided with a slot 21. A pin 22 is secured in each upright 2 and extends through the slot 21 of each bar 16. A. pair oiI pulley blocks 25 are also secured to the bar 12'. Likewise a pair of pulley blocks or pulley wheels 26 are located on a shaft 27. Cables eXtend over the pulley blocks or wheels 25 and 26 and down to drums 28 secured in the lower portion of the uprights 2. rlhe drums 28 may be operated by suitable gear wheels and a crank to rotate the drums and draw on the cables and lift the track structures from above the tracks and away from the moving trains.

rFhe bag convcyers 15 are provided with flanged wheels 30 which nieve upon the tracks 11 and 12. rlhe conveyer 15 is provided with an upwardly extending arm 31 which may be connected to a cable 32. The cable 32 passes over grooved wheels 38 which are located in the yokes 13. The wheels 33, which are located in the yokes nearest the uprights 2, may be connected to and operated by means of beveled gears 34 and the grooved wheels 35 over which cables 36 may pass. rThe cables 3G may be operated by hand to cause rota-tion of the wheels 35, beveled gears 84 and wheels 33, and thus move the cables 32, which draw the conveyers 15 to points above the car or to the inner ends of the tracks. A platform 39 may be provided, if desired, to place the mail bag in position on the conveyer and to operate the cable 36. The conveyer 15 is also provided with a depe ding part having apair of -forwardly extending fingers 45 on which the mail bag to be delivered to the train may be supported or for receiving the mail kbag` from the train. The fingers 45 are long compared to their other dimensions. rlhey have upwardly curved edges so as to readily engage and retain or easily deliver the mail bag.

The bag 50 is supported on a frame 51. It may be tied to the frame 5i or it may be looped through the frame and secured over one side of the :traine at the central portion of the bag. The frame 51 is placed over the lingers l5 when the bag is received on the train or the Vtingers 45 enter the frame 51 when a bag which is secured to the. trame 51 is to be delivered.

Vithin the mail car is located the part of the apparatus which coac'ts with the apparatus located at the station to which the mail bags are to be delivered and from which they are to be received on the train. Nithin the mail car is located a pair oi` uprights GO which are secured to the floor and to the top of the car. A plate or movable shelf 6l is located intermediate the uprights 60 and is supported on a frame 62 which moves in grooves 63 formed in the uprights 60.4 The top of the car is provided with a pair of trap doors 64C while the upper end of the frame 62 is provided with rollers 65 which press against the trap doors and open up the trap doors in advance of the upward movement of the frame 62. The weight of the frame 62 andthe parts connected thereto may be counterbalanced by the weights 66 which are connected to the lower end of the frame 62 by the cables 67 and the brackets 68. A pin 69 may be provided for holding the frame G2 down when the uprights are not in use. A stop 70 may be provided for limiting the upward movement of the frame 62 and the pin 69 may be inserted in the hole 71 beneath one of the brackets GS to lock the frame in its uppermost position.

The upper end of the frame is provided with laterally extending lingers or arms 7 5 which are preferably upwardly inclined, away from the uprights of the frame G2, and also their upper edges are curved so as to re tain the mail bags which are received on the train and to readily deliver the mail bags from the train. The distance between the pairs of arms 7 5 is greater than the distance between the fingers 45 o'f' the conveyors l5 so that the fingers or arms 7 5 will readily pass to the outside ot the fingers 45 and yet the arms 75 are located relative to each other so that they will readily pass within the iframe 5l which supports the mail bag 50.

Beneath each pair of arms or fingers 75. and on the platform G1, is located a pair of' plates 8O which are disposed vertically and which are pivoted to the platform Gl by means of the pins 8l which extend down into the platform 6l. The plates of each pair are connected together by means of' springs 82. The inner ends of the plates are drawn together by the springs 82, while the outer ends of the plates are pivotally secured to the platform G1 by means ot the pins Sl and so that by the operation of the springs 82 the inner ends of the plates are yieldingly held nearer to each other than the outer ends of the plates 80. The plates SO operate to frictionally engage the bag when it is received on the train, prevent the bag from being torn or being thrown violently against the car or any portion thereof.

1n the operation of the apparatus a mail bag which is to be delivered is placed upon one or the other pairs of arms or fingers 7 5 and the mail bag that is to be delivered is placed upon one or the other of the pairs of ingers 45, depending upon the direction of the train Jfrom which a mail bag is to be delivered, or which is to receive a mail bag. The frame 62 is then raised through the trap doors 64 and the conveyers 15 are pulled out over the track by the operation of the cables 32. As the train moves along the mail bag on the train will first be delivered :from one pair of arms or fingers i' 5 to the fingers 4:5 of a conveyer 15, and as it passes the other conveyer l5 the arms or fingers i' will re* ceive the mail bag supported upon the fingers l5 of that conveyer. At the same time the body portion of the bag will be received between the plates 80, which will operate as a brake to frictionally engage and prevent injury to the bag.

I claim:

l. 1n a mail bag delivering and receiving apparatus, the combination of a telescoping frame having two pairs of fingers, a second frame having attached thereto the mail bag to be delivered or received, a pair ol conveyers and tracks over which the conveyors move, the conveyers having fingers for receiving or delivering the second named frame.

2. 1n a mail bagdelivering and receiving apparatus, the combination of a telescoping frame having two pairs of fingers, a second iframe having attached thereto the mail bag to be delivered or received, a pair ot conveyers and tracks over which the conveyors move, the conveyers having fingers for receiving or delivering the second named frame, and means for hoisting the tracks plates located below the second set of fingers, 10 over which the conveyer moves away from springs for yieldingly holding the free ends the track over which the train moves. of the plates in proximity to each other, the 3. In a mail bag receiving apparatus, the said plates being so positioned relative to the 5 combination of a frame having lingers, a fingers as to engage the bag when the fingers frame to which the mail bag is secured supengage the second named frame. 15 ported on the lingers of the rst named In testimony whereof, I have hereunto frame, a second set of fingers, a pair of versigned my name to this specification. tioally disposed and pivotally supported J HENRY BICKHARD.

@epilee of thee patentl'may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner or Patente, Washington@ D. G. 

